A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING article 29 to chapter 1, title 1 SO AS TO PROHIBIT A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY FROM GRANTING OR RECOGNIZING LEGAL PERSONHOOD IN CERTAIN ITEMS.

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 1, Title 1 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

Article 29

 

Legal Personhood

 

    Section 1-1-1910.  (A) As used in this article:

       (1) "Body of water" means any natural or man-made accumulation of water, regardless of whether the accumulation of water is static or subject to a force that causes a hydrological current.

       (2) "Governmental entity" means:

           (a) a court;

           (b) the General Assembly;

           (c) the governing body of a political subdivision; or

           (d) another entity of the State or a political subdivision, if the entity has adjudicatory or rulemaking authority.

       (3) "Human being" means a member of the species classified as Homo sapiens;

       (4) "Land" means the solid terrestrial surface or subsurface of the earth.

       (5) "Legal personhood" means:

           (a) the legal rights and obligations of an individual under the laws of this State; or

           (b) the legal rights and obligations of a person other than an individual under the laws of this State.

       (6) "Political subdivision" means the same as that term is defined in Section 2-7-76.

       (7) "Real property" means any building, fixture, improvement, appurtenance, structure, or other development that is affixed permanently to land.

       (8) "State" means the same as that term is defined in Section 1-3-490.

    (B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a governmental entity may not grant legal personhood to, nor recognize legal personhood in:

       (1) artificial intelligence;

       (2) an inanimate object;

       (3) a body of water;

       (4) land;

       (5) real property;

       (6) atmospheric gases;

       (7) an astronomical object;

       (8) weather;

       (9) a plant;

       (10) a nonhuman animal; or

       (11) any other member of a taxonomic domain that is not a human being.

 

SECTION 2.  This act takes upon approval by the Governor.

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